1. Field
The present invention relates to an image processing method for image combining, an image processing apparatus provided with an image combining function, and an electronic camera provided with an image combining function.
2. Description of the Related Art
Patent reference 1 (Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2001-28726) discloses an electronic camera provided with an image combining function. The principle of the function is additive average combining of multiple shot images obtained by, for example, continuous shooting. Shooting continuously a moving object (dynamic body) using a tripod and image-combining the obtained multiple shot images allow a still background and a trajectory of the dynamic body to be included in one image.
It should be noted that this image combining does not discriminate the dynamic body from the background and the background is also included in the dynamic body area, and thereby the dynamic body appears to be transparent. To perform combining to make a dynamic body opaque (hereinafter, called “opaque combining”), it is necessary to detect a presence area of dynamic body from each of the shot images and to connect the areas.
However, it is difficult to detect a presence area of dynamic body automatically, and therefore it is currently difficult to realize automatic opaque combining.